Lynn C. Fritz inducted into the Logistics Hall of Fame
The new member of the Logistics Hall of Fame has been decided: Lynn C. Fritz will be inducted into the international Logistics Hall of Fame.
The new member of the Logistics Hall of Fame has been decided: Lynn C. Fritz will be inducted into the international Logistics Hall of Fame. Born in San Francisco in 1942, the US American is regarded as the founder of logistics for humanitarian organisations. In order to help those affected faster and better in a crisis, he founded the so-called Fritz Institute in 2001 with his own funds, he ordered the development of software for NGOs that could be used free of charge, and he established contacts with the leaders of numerous humanitarian organisations in order to implement new concepts and institutionalised learning.
Lynn C. Fritz has proven how logistical strategies for fast and effective catastrophe aid work - a topic that is more up-to-date than ever due to climate change. With his induction into the Logistics Hall of Fame, the international jury pays tribute to his efforts to always support effective frontline humanitarian operations with strong competencies and a systematic approach behind the scenes. The main pillars are effective processes, professionally trained logistics staff and the use of IT. Numerous initiatives in the field of humanitarian logistics are based on the visionary pioneering work of Lynn C. Fritz.
Experts in the field of logistics for humanitarian organisations emphasise several of Fritz's merits at once. After selling his logistics company Fritz Companies Inc. to UPS, the Californian spent money at the Fritz Institute to develop the free, web-based logistics software HELIOS. The tool is available as a free global standard for humanitarian organisations and enables real-time tracking of food and non-food items, non-cash and cash donations, as well as financial information about goods in the supply chain. Experts from the Institute had spent around 3,000 hours interviewing Red Cross and Red Crescent staff to develop the software. The reason: Fritz had recognised that methods and tools from business sector are not transferable one-to-one to the supply chains of humanitarian organisations. The entrepreneur also pushed for initiatives to systematically train logistics personnel and evaluate humanitarian missions with the help of key figures. Fritz also founded the first association for humanitarian workers in the USA and established a consortium of companies that loans out logistics experts and donates money when needed.
Lynn C. Fritz will be officially inducted into the Logistics Hall of Fame at a gala reception on 25 November in the Erich Klausener Hall of the BMVI in Berlin.
